Part 35 (2/2)
”Yes; the most unearthly cry I ever heard. It must have been some kind of owl, and its shriek sounded the more terrible from being up in this land of echoes.”
”Then if it was a bird there is nothing to be afraid of,” said Saxe.
”It gave me the s.h.i.+vers.”
”It was startling. Found anything, Melchior?”
”No, herr; and I'm puzzled.”
”We think it was a bird.”
”No, herr; that was no bird.”
”Could it have been an animal?”
”There are no animals up at this height, but chamois and marmots. They could not have made such a cry.”
”No,” said Dale thoughtfully.
”Stop!” said the guide, as if he had caught at an idea; ”could it have been a bear?”
”No-o-o!” cried Saxe. ”It was a shriek, not a growl.”
”You are right, herr,” said the guide. ”Bears are very scarce now, and I do not think one of them could make such a noise unless he were being killed. This is another mystery of the mountains that I cannot explain.
Some guides would say it was the mountain spirit.”
”But you do not, Melchior?”
”No, herr; I believe now that all these old stories ate fables. Shall we lie down again to rest?”
”I want to rest,” said Dale; ”but it seems impossible to lie down expecting to be roused up by such an unearthly cry.”
”Then the English herr thinks it was unearthly?”
”Oh, I don't mean that,” said Dale hastily. ”The mountains are full of awful things, but not of that kind. Well, Saxe, shall we lie down?”
”What's the good?” replied the boy: ”we couldn't go to sleep if we did.
I say, isn't it cold?”
”Get one of the rugs to put round you.”
”Shall we have a good look round, first, herr?”
”No, don't,” said Saxe. ”It is so dark, and there are so many stones about. Yes, let's go,” he added suddenly, as the thought flashed across his brain that if he declined his companions would think him cowardly.
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